In 2014 Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region has chosen to focus on the role of slavery as the impetus for the Underground Railroad movement, and to investigate the legacy of slavery against which the Underground Railroad is interpreted and made relevant for us today. The enslavement of African descended people in the Americas, and the United States in particular, has contributed to the historical and cultural setting in which we find ourselves.

We invite proposals that address reinterpretations, teaching, new research, and other ways that illustrate, address and celebrate the story historically and contemporarily. Also welcomed are proposals related to the Underground Railroad Movement, enslavement, or emancipation in the United States, and the relevance for us today.

Possible questions to be considered:

· What regional, national, and international realities contributed to or were reflected in both enslavement and resistance?

· What policies and precedents shaped the legal standing of enslaved and newly freed people?

· Is there an enduring impact of enslavement on the African-American family? How can it be identified?

· How has enslavement become reshaped and re-created in law and in fact since the Civil War?

· How has representation of slavery and the Underground Railroad shifted through time?

Proposals on related questions, not directly on this theme, are also welcomed.